Frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads

ABSTRACT

A plate-like diaphragm member has an insertion opening formed therethrough corresponding to and cooperating with the funnel of a housing for a frame clamp when the diaphragm member is in position in the housing. One of the walls of the funnel of the housing and the diaphragm member constitute an integral member of synthetic material. A clamping body is affixed to the diaphragm member at the insertion opening thereof so that an electrical conductor passes through the funnel and the opening into the clamping body. A threaded clamp threadedly coupled to the clamping body moves the bottom of the clamping body upward thereby bringing the electrical conductor into electrical contact with a contact member in the clamping body.

United States Patent Wiessner [4 1 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] FRAME CLAMP FOR ELECTRICALLY 3,246,283 4/1966 Huska ..339/|9s CONNECTING ELECTRICAL LEADS 3,539,977 11/1970 Woertz ..339/l98 Edgar Wiessner, Amberg, Germany Siemens.Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin & Munich, Germany June 17, 1970 lnventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb.'28, 1970 Germany ..P 20 09 508.3

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,496,521 2/1970 Hohorst ..339/95 Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hater Attorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and Daniel J. Tick [57] ABSTRACT A plate-like diaphragm member has an insertion opening formed therethrough corresponding to and cooperating with the funnel of a housing for a frame clamp when the diaphragm member is in position in the housing. One of the walls of the funnel of the housing and the diaphragm member constitute an integral member of synthetic material. A clamping body is affixed to the diaphragm member at the insertion opening thereof so that an electrical conductor passes through the funnel and the opening into the clamping body. A threaded clamp threadedly coupled to the clamping body moves the bottom of the clamping body upward thereby bringing the electrical conductor into electrical contact with a contact member in the clamping body.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FRAME CLAMP FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING ELECTRICAL LEADS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement of the frame clamp of copending patent applicationSer. No. 46,998.

Copendingpatent application Ser. No. 46,998 discloses a frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads which comprises a movably mounted clamping body in a housing having a lead-in funnel. The clamping body is movable in the housing by the rotation of a threaded clamping member threadedly coupled thereto. The clamping body is affixed to a diaphragm having an ear, tongue, fin, lobe, or the like, for sealing an opening between the bottom of the clamping body and the lead-in funnel of the housing during movement of said clamping body. The diaphragm has an insertion opening formed therethrough which corresponds to and cooperates with the funnel of the housing when the diaphragm is in position in the housing.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads, which clamp prevents electrical conductors from slipping between the bottom of the clamping body and the edge of the lead-in funnel.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads, which clamp is sturdy and is not subjected to tearing stresses.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame clamp for electrically connecting electrical leads, which clamp is of simple structure and functions with efficiency, effectiveness and reliability.

An object of the invention is to provide a frame clamp having fewer separate parts, and which may be manufactured by fewer and simpler tools.

The principal object of the invention is to improve the frame clamp of the copending patent application to the extent that the manufacture of the housing for the frame clamp is simplified when the diaphragm is movably guided in the housing. This is accomplished by providing the diaphragm with at least one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of the housing extending transversely to the direction of movement of the clamping body. This permits the manufacture of the housing of the frame clamp by utilization of a form or mold divided into two parts only. In order to maintain the clamping intervals in a desired manner, the transverse wall of the funnel of the housing and the diaphragm are preferably provided as an integral member of synthetic material. This also provides the best insulation of the frame clamp from the outside. When one wall of the funnel is movably guided, a type of labyrinth sealing is additionally provided and increases the resistance to creepage even more. It may also be of advantage, in the lastmentioned structure, to affix the one wall of the funnel directly to the clamping body, so that said clamping body may also be movably guided via the wall.

In accordance with the invention, a frame clamp for elastically connecting an electrical conductor to a fixed contact member of electrical apparatus, the frame clamp being housed in a housing having a lead-in funnel opening thereinto, the lead-in funnel having a plurality of walls, comprises a platelike diaphragm member provided with one of the walls of the lead-in funnel and having an insertion opening formed therethrough corresponding to and cooperating with the funnel of the housing when the diaphragm member is in position in the housing. A clamping body in the housing is affixed to the diaphragm member at the insertion opening thereof whereby an electrical conductor passes through the funnel and the insertion opening into the clamping body. The clamping body has a bottom member. A fixed contact member of electrical apparatus extends into the clamping member in the housing. Threaded clamping means threadedly coupled to the clamping body moves the bottom member of the clamping body upward thereby bringing the electrical conductor into electrical contact with the fixed contact member. The clamping body moves transverse to one of the walls of the lead-in funnel and the diaphragm member seals an opening between the bottom of the clamping body and the lead-in funnel.

The one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of the housing comprises synthetic material.

The one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of the housing and the diaphragm member constitute an integral member of synthetic material.

The one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of the housing is movably guided in the housing.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effeet, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral sectional view through an embodiment of the frame clamp of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional schematic diagram illustrating the mold for manufacturing the housing of the frame clamp of copending patent application Ser. No. 46,998; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic diagram of the mold for manufacturing the housing of the frame clamp of the invention.

In the FIGS., the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.

The frame clamp of the FIGS. electrically connects an electrical conductor or lead 1 to a fixed contact member 7 of electrical apparatus (not shown in the FIGS.). The frame clamp comprises a clamping body 2. A threaded clamping member 3 is threadedly coupled to the clamping body 2. A diaphragm member 4 is affixed to the clamping body 2. The clamping body 2 and the diaphragm member 4 are inserted in a housing portion 5.

The housing 5 has a lead-in funnel 6 formed therethrough to accommodate the conductor 1. The threaded clamping member is threadedly coupled with the superimposed ends (not shown in detail in the F108.) of the clamping body 2 of the frame clamp. The fixed contact member 7 extends into the clamping body 2 and functions as a pressure member for the threaded clamping member 3, so that during the turning of said threaded clamping member, said clamping body 2 and the diaphragm member 4, which is affixed thereto, are moved against the direction of rotation of said threaded clamping member.

When the threaded clamping member 3 is rotated or turned, the bottom 8 of the clamping member 2 moves upward, abuts the electrical contact 1, and urges said electrical contact into abutment with the fixed contact member 7. The turning of the threaded clamping member 3 thus provides an electrical contact between the electrically conducting lead 1 and the fixed contact member 7.

The diaphragm member 4 and the clamping plate 2 may be affixed to each other in any suitable manner. One method of affixing the clamping body 2 and the diaphragm member 4 to each other is by providing a protrusion, extension, or the like, 9 on said clamping body and positioning said clamping body so that said protrusion extends into an opening 10 formed in the diaphragm member 4.

An insertion opening 11 is formed through the diaphragm member 4 to accommodate the electrical conductor 1 and to direct said conductor into the opening of the clamping body 2. A protrusion, extension, or the like, 13 is formed on the surface of a portion 12 of the diaphragm member 4. The portion 12 of the diaphragm member 4 has the shape of an ear, tongue, fin, lobe, or the like. The protrusion 13 of the ear portion 12 of the diaphragm member 4 extends into a notch, recess, groove, or the like, 14 formed in the housing 5.

The ear shaped portion 12 of the diaphragm member 4 is elastic so that the protrusion 13 seats in the groove 14. This establishes the open position of the frame clamp and affixes the clamping body 2 in the housing 5. The fixed contact member 7 is movably guided in grooves or slots in the housing 5 (not shown in the FIGS.) and is prevented from shifting by being coupled to the diaphragm member 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lead-in funnel 6 of the housing 5 has four walls 20, 21, 22 and 23. The walls 20, 21 and 22 are firmly affixed to the housing Sand the wall 23 is affixed to the diaphragm member 4 (FIG. 1). The wall 23 of the lead-in funnel 6 comprises synthetic material which is pressed against the diaphragm member 4 and extends beyond the protrusion 9 of the clamping body 2 (FIG. 1).

The wall 23 of the lead-in funnel 6 may also be manufactured by bending out the punched out portion of the diaphragm member 4 whereby the width of the insertion opening 11 of said diaphragm member must be made somewhat greater. When the diaphragm member 4 comprises metal, there is the disadvantage that the potential applied at the clamping body 2 is directed toward the service or operating side. A simple embodiment is provided by making the protrusion 9 of the clamping body 2, the wall 23 of the lead-in funnel 6 and the diaphragm member 4 as an integral component affixed to said clamping body.

When the threaded clamping member 3 is turned into the clamping body 2, said clamping body moves upward with the diaphragm member 4 and the wall 23 of the lead-in funnel 6. Since the wall 21 of the lead-in funnel no longer functions directly as an insertion wall for the insertion opening 11 of the diaphragm member 4, which is really not important, since the electrical conductor 1 is inserted when the frame clamp is open, it may still be preferable, if the position of the frame clamp permits, to affix said wall to said diaphragm member. It may thus be feasible to affix the walls 21 and 23 of the lead-in funnel 6 to the diaphragm member 4.

FIGS. 3 and 4, when compared, indicate the preferred method of manufacture of the housing 5 of the frame clamp of the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates the method of manufacture of the housing 5 of the copending patent application Ser. No. 46,998. FIG. 4 illustrates the method of manufacture of the housing 5 of the frame clamp of the invention.

In FIG. 3, the lead-in funnel 6 of the housing 5 has four fixed walls. It is therefore necessary to provide a mold or form for producing the housing 5 of a plurality of parts 24, 25 and 26. The part 26 functions substantially as the core.

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 5 of the frame clamp of the invention may be assembled or manufactured in a much simpler manner by the utilization ofa mold or form of much simpler structure. The mold includes a part 27 which is a combination, in a single part, of the parts 25 and 26 of the mold of FIG. 3.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. A frame clamp for elastically connecting an-electrical conductor to a fixed contact member of electrical apparatus, said frame clamp being housed in a housing having a lead-in funnel opening thereinto, said lead-in funnel having a plurality of walls, said frame clamp comprising a plate-like diaphragm member provided with one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and having an insertion opening formed therethrough corresponding to and cooperating with the funnel of said housing when said diaphragm member is in position in said housing;

a clamping body in said housing coupled to said one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and affixed to said diaphragm member at the insertion opening thereof whereby an electrical conductor passes through said funnel and said insertion opening into said clamping body, said clamping body having a bottom member, a fixed contact member of electrical apparatus extending into said clamping body in said housing; and v threaded clamping means threadedly coupled to said clamping body for moving the bottom member of said clamping body upward thereby bringing the electrical conductor into electrical contact with the fixed contact member, said clamping body moving with said one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and with said diaphragm member and said diaphragm member sealing an opening between the bottom of said clamping body and said lead-in funnel, said one of said walls extending transversely to the direction of movement of said clamping body.

2. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing comprises synthetic material.

3. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing and said diaphragm member constitute an integral member of synthetic material.

4. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing is movably guided in said housing. 

1. A frame clamp for elastically connecting an electrical conductor to a fixed contact member of electrical apparatus, said frame clamp being housed in a housing having a lead-in funnel opening thereinto, said lead-in funnel having a plurality of walls, said frame clamp comprising a plate-like diaphragm member provided with one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and having an insertion opening formed therethrough corresponding to and cooperating with the funnel of said housing when said diaphragm member is in position in said housing; a clamping body in said housing coupled to said one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and affixed to said diaphragm member at the insertion opening thereof whereby an electrical conductor passes through said funnel and said insertion opening into said clamping body, said clamping body having a bottom member, a fixed contact member of electrical apparatus extending into said clamping body in said housing; and threaded clamping means threadedly coupled to said clamping body for moving the bottom member of said clamping body upward thereby bringing the electrical conductor into electrical contact with the fixed contact member, said clamping body moving with said one of the walls of said lead-in funnel and with said diaphragm member and said diaphragm member sealing an opening between the bottom of said clamping body and said leadin funnel, said one of said walls extending transversely to the direction of movement of said clamping body.
 2. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing comprises synthetic material.
 3. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing and said diaphragm member constitute an integral member of synthetic material.
 4. A frame clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the walls of the lead-in funnel of said housing is movably guided in said housing. 